


Moana’s Bodyguard

by worthmorethanrubies25



Category: Moana (2016)
Genre: Don’t read if you don’t like the pairing, F/M, Moana is twenty-one in this, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2019-06-21 11:06:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 15,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15556359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/worthmorethanrubies25/pseuds/worthmorethanrubies25
Summary: This is just a mashup of “Moana” and “The Bodyguard” (1992). This is my first fic, so please go easy on me.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In this fic, Moana is twenty-one and Maui is thirty. I thought it was important to note in case any feathers get ruffled about “age gaps” and Moana being “underage.”  
> I know that “The Bodyguard” is an R-rated movie, so I toned it waaay down. This work is rated T to be safe.  
> I will update this as often as I can.  
> Disclaimer: I DO NOT own “Moana” or “The Bodyguard.”

_Maui_

 

After ten years in jail,  _this_ was the option he was given? He looked up from the job description and gave Sheriff Te Ka a skeptical look.

     ”You want me to babysit a twenty-year-old pop diva?”

     ”Twenty-one last month,” Te Ka corrected him as she opened a file folder. “Her mother had been house sitting for Ms. Waialiki while she was in California, and she noticed an unmarked envelope while she was checking the mail. It had this note inside.”

     She slid a piece of paper across her desk toward Maui, who took a quick glance at it. The words “ **YOU WILL DIE!** ” screamed up from the paper in letters cut from some magazine; Maui didn’t need to read the rest of it to get the gist of the letter.

     “Why doesn’t someone just get the DNA off of this thing and make an arrest?” Maui asked.

     “We already put it through the lab; whoever threatened Ms. Waialiki was careful to cover their tracks,” Te Ka explained, “No one told her about the note. After all, it could be nothing more than a prank. But, naturally, her parents and manager are still very concerned for her safety and they requested a bodyguard. And that’s where you come in.”

     “You really want me to do this?” Maui scoffed.

     The redhead scowled at him. “This was  _Te Fiti’s_ idea. Remember her? The woman you  _stole_ from?”

     Maui flinched at the reminder, particularly since Te Ka had been the one to arrest him.

     “She happens to be a good friend of Ms. Waialiki, and if she hadn’t decided to have a little mercy on you, you would be serving parole. I suggest you keep that in mind.”

     Maui sighed in defeat, “Fine. When do I start?”

     A pleased look crossed Te Ka’s features.

     “First thing tomorrow morning.”

 

Maui did research back at his temporary apartment, although he knew as much as anyone about Moana Waialiki.

     Moana was one of the most famous celebrities in the state of Hawaii, if not the entire US. Her dad owned several properties on an island called Motunui. Moana, although she would inherit her parents estate when they died, had decided at a young age to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps and become a singer and dancer. She won several music awards, and even a Grammy at the age of sixteen. And now, at twenty-one, she seemed like she was just getting started in her career. Heck, she had just starred in her first  _movie_ , and rumor had it she would be a shoe-in for  _Best Actress_ at the Oscars.

     And apparently, based on what Te Ka had told him earlier that day, Moana had enemies now, too.

     Maui groaned, rubbing his tired eyes. He hoped that Te Ka had been right when she suggested that the letter had been a stupid prank. As much as he appreciated not being on parole, he  _really_ didn’t want to possibly take a bullet for a superstar nine years his junior.

 

_Moana_  

This was so stupid. Moana already had a small security team; she didn’t  _need_ a personal bodyguard. She just turned twenty-one, for Heaven’s sake! But her parents  _insisted_ that the further she got into her career, the better it was to have more protection. And her father, as usual, had the final word, no matter how old Moana was.

     She bristled as she brushed out her dark hair. She would be meeting the guy in less than an hour. Ironically, it was the same crook who stole from one of her best friends ten years ago.  _Maui_. 

     Moana dropped her brush onto her vanity and checked her reflection. She decided not to bother with makeup; she wasn’t going to get all dolled up for a thief-turned-bodyguard. 

     She wished Gramma Tala were here.  _She_ would’ve convinced her dad that Moana was a grown woman capable of taking care of herself. At the very least, she would have listened to Moana’s ranting about it without telling her to  _be reasonable_ or to  _act her age_.

     “I miss you, Gramma,” she murmured as she picked out her outfit for the day: a red tube top, a cream colored wrap skirt, flat sandals, and her trademark shell necklace that had belonged to her grandmother.

     As she made her way to her sitting room to meet Maui, she made a mental note to hide her jewelry.

     

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that’s chapter one. I hope it wasn’t too bad. I also know nothing about how the whole bodyguard system works, so I apologize for my lack of knowledge in that area.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry this update took so long. I moved and the Internet at my new apartment has been down the past few days. Anyway, enjoy this next chapter!

_Maui_

Maui whistled as he maneuvered his car onto the long driveway up to the gate. The mansion looked smaller than the pictures on the internet depicted, but it was still pretty impressive. It was a colonial reproduction built for Moana’s grandmother with lush gardens, a high stone wall and a private beach. Moana had inherited it when Tala Waialiki passed away some years ago.

     Maui glanced into the rear view mirror and spotted a black car slowly driving by the house before speeding up again. Maui’s eyes narrowed in suspicion as he pulled up to the call box.

     “Who is it?” a high voice asked when he pressed the button.

     “Maui, here to see Ms. Waialiki.”

     A loud buzz sounded and the gates creaked open, allowing Maui to drive up to the front door. He parked behind a white limo that was currently being washed by a small, portly guy with pale skin and an upturned nose. He paused when he saw Maui step out of his car.

     “Can I help you?”

     “I’m here to see the famous Ms. Waialiki.”

     “You have an appointment?”

     “Yeah, Sheriff Te Ka made the arrangements.”

     The guy nodded and continued to wash the car. “Okay, then. I’m Pua, Moana’s chauffeur. Go right in, sir.”

      _That was too easy_ , Maui thought as he jogged up the few steps to the door.  _I could’ve been a deranged serial killer_. Before he could ring the bell, the door opened and he was greeted by an old man with white hair and sea-blue eyes.

     “Maui, I’m pleased to meet you. I’m Kai, Moana’s manager. And this is her father, Tui,” he gestured to a tall man with tanned skin and dark hair before nodding to a thin guy dressed entirely in black and wearing a Bluetooth, “and this is Sy, her publicist.”

     “I’m glad you’re here,” Tui said, his voice thick with concern, “something happened last night.”

     Maui frowned, a sense of dread filling him. “What is it?”

     “There...was a break in,” Kai said.

     “There was a  _what_?” Maui was stunned. “Was anyone hurt or anything missing?”

     “No,” Tui replied, “a few months ago, photos of the mansion were published in a magazine article about celebrity houses, including the master bedroom-“        “It was in  _Stars_ magazine,” Sy interrupted smugly, “You see it?”

     Maui shook his head before turning back to Tui.

     “Now, Moana’s actual room is at the other end of the mansion. This morning the housekeeper discovered the master window open with the latch bent. There was a picture of Moana on the pillows of the bed and...”

     Tui pressed his lips into a line, looking like he would either throw up or hit something. He didn’t have to finish; Maui knew what he was going to say, and it made him sick to his stomach.

     Kai stepped forward, “There was also another letter.”

     He handed Maui a piece of paper. It was almost exactly like the letter Te Ka had shown him, only this one was worded differently. Maui inwardly shuddered; one note could have been written off as a practical joke. But another one along with trespassing was a serious problem, and that was putting it lightly.

     “Did anyone tell her?” he asked.

     Sy scoffed, “Are you kidding? This would totally freak her out. She doesn’t need that level of anxiety right now, not with her rising fame and a chance at an  _Oscar_.”

     Maui scowled, not understanding why everyone was keeping all these secrets from Moana. She would be more cooperative if she knew some creep was breaking into her house and doing God knows what and leaving death threats.

     “I’ll inspect the property after I meet with Moana and start upgrading the security systems as soon as possible.”

     “Just don’t go overboard,” Sy muttered as he walked away.

     Kai shook his head, “Don’t listen to him; if you have any questions or concerns about anything, talk to me or Tui.”

 

_Moana_

Moana opened the tall French doors of the sitting room to let in some fresh air. Hearing a clucking noise at her feet, she looked down and saw Heihei as he strutted into the house, followed by Nani and Tony.

     “Morning, cousin,” Nani smirked, “Ready to meet your new bodyguard?”

     “Don’t remind me,” Moana groaned.

     Tony gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Moana, if I catch this guy doing  _anything_ , I’ll beat him to a pulp.”

     “Right this way,” Moana heard her manager, Kai, say to whom she assumed was the bodyguard. Moana rolled her eyes, thinking that she might as well get it over with.

     Kai entered with an enormous man following him.

     “Moana, this is Maui. Maui, I’m sure you’ve heard of my client, Moana Waialiki.”

     “Who hasn’t heard of Moana Waialiki,” the other man scoffed, though his tone was more mocking than fanlike.

     As Kai stepped aside, Moana got a good look at Maui. He was relatively young, only late-twenties or early-thirties. And he was...surprisingly handsome. Tall, superhuman muscles, long dark curls, a bone fish hook necklace, tattoos that ran from his wrists and disappeared into his black t-shirt sleeves and peeked out at the neckline. Moana had been expecting a Secret-Servicey guy in a suit and sunglasses,  _not_ a demigod of a man.

     “And that’s her cousin, Nani,” Kai continued, “and her security guard, Tony.”

     Nani smiled and gave him a polite greeting. Tony just grunted when Maui nodded at him.

     Moana held out her hand, “So, you’re Maui?”

     “Yep,” the man replied, almost dislocating her arm with how hard he shook it. “Or ‘Bodyguard Of Pop-Princess Moana.’”

     Moana frowned as Maui gave her a cheeky grin. “I’m not a princess.”

     “That’s your pet chicken, right?” Maui asked with a pointed glance at Heihei, who was pecking at the carpet.

     “Technically, he’s a rooster.”  _What’s your point?_

     “If you wear a dress and have an animal sidekick, you’re a princess,” Maui explained, as if it were common knowledge.

     Moana resisted the urge to let out a frustrated sigh, especially when Nani chuckled. The man hadn’t even been there five minutes, and already he was driving her nuts.

     “Well, now that we’re introduced, I think we should get to the reason why you’re even here,” Moana replied, wondering how long her patience with Maui would last.

     “Right,” he said as he plopped into a chair, “apparently, everyone thinks you need a babysitter.”

     Moana was caught off guard by his straightforward answer, even though it was the truth.

     “That’s right,” she said, collecting herself as she sat down across from him, “so, you agree that there isn’t really a need for you to be here.”

     “I wouldn’t say  _that_.”

     When Moana gave him a questioning look, he sat up straighter and went on, “I mean, you  _are_ getting more popular, and  _someone_ has to protect you from fans that are kooky-dooks.”

     Moana felt her patience evaporate; it figured that her dad would meet Maui first and give him the same speech he gave her. Tony opened his mouth to protest, only for Moana to cut him off with a wave of her hand.

     “I am twenty-one and can take care of myself, thank you. The only reason I agreed to this was to appease my family and manager,” she snapped with a glare at Kai, who was completely unfazed by this exchange.

     Nani cleared her throat. “They’re right, Moana. It’s important that you take your safety into consideration.”

     Maui shrugged, “So, like it or not, you have a bodyguard.”

     Moana clenched her hands in her lap. “Yes, I do,” she growled through her teeth, “and just to be clear, I don’t want this to alter my life in any way. And I don’t want Nani’s little sister to know about it. Understood?”

     Maui saluted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, “Kai” is a Hawaiian name meaning “ocean,” so I humanized both Pua and the Ocean.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back! Sheesh, with my work and getting ready for classes to start next week, I’m grateful to get this next chapter done.  
> So, I decided last minute to throw “Lilo and Stitch” in this fic too. For the record, I don’t own that either.

_Maui_

As Maui checked the estate for security weaknesses, his thoughts stole back to his first meeting with Moana.

     In the photos Maui had seen of her, she had been wearing makeup with flawless hair and, no doubt, at least a little airbrushing. Seeing her with the natural look, he was surprised at how pretty she was, even better looking than all those pictures he had seen over the years, and more petite.

     She was also a spitfire. Even though she had voiced her dislike about having a bodyguard, she sounded more like a passionate adult than a whiny, spoiled brat. He was relieved that he had been able to stick to the script, to casually tell her that her rising fame and crazed fans were the cause of everyone else’s paranoia.

     Hearing a twig snap behind him, Maui spun and saw a young girl that looked like Nani carrying Moana’s rooster.

     “Hi,” she said, “Who are you?”

     “I’m Maui,” he replied, and you are...?”

     “I’m Lilo, Nani’s sister. You’re the new bodyguard, huh?”

     Maui raised an eyebrow; only ten minutes ago Moana had said that she didn’t want anyone telling Nani’s little sister about why he was there.

     “What do you know about it?”

     Lilo scowled. “I might be eight, but that doesn’t mean I’m deaf.”

     “I’ll keep that in mind,” Maui smirked.

     The little girl scanned him and asked, in all seriousness, “Have you ever killed anyone?”

     Maui had to press his lips together to smother a laugh. “What makes you say that?”

     “You look like the type,” Lilo shrugged before turning and moseying back to the mansion.

      _Kids_ , Maui thought with a chuckle.

     As he walked along the border wall at the back of the estate, he noticed a wrought-iron door that opened to a dirt pathway that led to the private beach. Everyone knew that Moana’s favorite hobby was swimming in the ocean, so Maui wasn’t surprised. Examining the gate, he noticed that it didn’t have a lock or alarm or anything to keep intruders out. Pretty much the entire estate was like that, and like he promised, he would start upgrading the security system first thing in the morning.

     When he turned to continue his inspection, something flashed out of the corner of his eye somewhere beyond the gate. Frowning, he opened it and stepped through, keeping his vision on what was clearly something that had caught the sunlight. He had to push through a few bushes, but he found the object, and the sight of it made his blood freeze.

     It was a telescope on a stand, the foliage around it was crushed and flattened. Maui saw that the tall bushes made a good cover for the telescope...and whoever was using it.  _But what was it pointed at?_

     Praying that he was wrong, Maui looked through the telescope, careful not to touch it.

     He was staring straight into Moana’s bedroom.

     Maui cursed under his breath as goosebumps ran down his tattooed arms. This whole thing crossed the crucial-problem-line when Maui heard that someone broke in. But now he knew with absolute certainty that Moana’s life might actually be in danger.

 

_Moana_

_Thud. Thud. Grind. Thud._

_Who does he think he is?_ Moana seethed as she watched Maui instructing Pua (whom he had drafted as his assistant) along with a handful of construction foremen and supervisors about the changes he wanted done on the estate. There were already several workers and electricians installing security cameras and fortifying the place like it was the Pentagon.

     “We don’t  _need_ this, Kai,” Sy shouted as he and Moana’s manager emerged onto the veranda.

     “He seems to know what he’s doing,” Kai calmly replied, “Maui does have experience, after all. Even Te Fiti said that he’s one of the best.”

     Moana turned on Kai. “He stole a priceless jade brooch from Te Fiti!”

     Kai and Sy both froze; clearly they hadn’t noticed her before.

     Kai sighed, “You know Te Fiti dropped all charges against him.”

     “Yeah,  _ten years later_ ,” Sy pointed out.

     “Besides,” Moana continued as she gestured toward the construction work. “I don’t think that  _any_ of this is really necessary. I get that everyone wants me to be safe, but do we really have to turn this place into a fortress? I’m perfectly safe here.”

     Kai put a hand on Moana’s shoulder. “Give him a chance, at least. Just try not to complain every time he steps on your toes, alright?”

     Moana sighed, but nodded in agreement.

     “Now, why don’t you go get ready?” Sy said. “Today you have a photo shoot, an autograph signing, and dinner with your family.”

 

Moana was glad to get home that night; Maui had been impossible all day. At the photo shoot, he had done everything but check the photographer’s clothes for a dart gun. He had stayed by her side during the autograph signing, scaring several little kids with his intimidating muscles and one-wrong-move-and-you’re-dead posture. And dinner at her parents’ house? He had insisted on talking to her dad in private to keep him updated on her security.

     All in all, she was about ready to strangle him, and it was only his third day.

     Moana was ready to relax, to swim in the ocean and forget about Maui’s antics for a while. She slipped into her bathing suit, sarong and flip flops and headed through the house and out into the backyard. Yes, a moonlight swim was just what she needed. Thankfully, all the construction workers went home for the night. That thought had just entered her mind when she heard the sound of a drill...coming from the gate to the beach.

     Cursing, she stormed across the vast lawn and, sure enough, Maui was there installing a coded lock and alarm on her gate. He looked up at her and grinned.

     “Hey there, Curly,” he called, and Moana bristled. ‘Curly’ had somehow become one of his nicknames for her, along with ‘Princess’ and ‘Kid.’ 

     “I didn’t have time to do this earlier, and I know how much you like the ocean, so I thought I should take care of this right away.”

     “Great. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going swimming.”

     “Oh, of course, of course,” he said, opening the gate for her and bowing dramatically, “after you.”

     “Thank you,” she sighed as she stepped past him.

     “You’re welcome,” he replied enthusiastically. He then closed the gate with him on the same side as Moana.

     Furrowing her brows, she slowly asked, “What are you doing?”

     Maui shrugged, “Sorry Kid, but I can’t let you go swimming without protection. Again, you’re welcome.”

     Moana couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Y-you can’t do that!” She stammered.

     “I can, and I am. Just because it’s after-hours doesn’t mean no one’s gonna peek on you.”

     “Like you, for example,” Moana retorted.

     “Hey, at least my intentions are honorable. You’re wel-OW!”

     Moana had grabbed him by the ear and yanked him down so they were face-to-face.

     “Say ‘you’re welcome’  _one more time_! she hissed.

     “Okay okay okay,” Maui said as he pulled out of Moana’s grasp. Crossing his arms over his broad chest, he continued, “You can go swimming now. I promise to not stay any further than two yards away from you.”

     Moana contemplated the situation, then, with an annoyed huff, turned back to the gate. Bodyguard or not, she was NOT going to have him watch her while she swam. She tried to turn the handle, but quickly remembered that Maui had installed a locking mechanism. She heard Maui chuckle as he sidled up beside her.

     “Here,” he said as he punched some numbers on the keypad. With a ping, the gate swung open and she stepped through. This time, Maui closed the gate so he was still outside. 

     Moana turned to him and raised an eyebrow. “What? You’re not going to escort me back to my room?”

     Maui smiled. “I think you’re fine for now; I’m going to do a perimeter check.”

     Moana rolled her eyes and turned to go back inside. “You’re hopeless,” she muttered under her breath.

     “ _You’re welcome_!” Maui called cheerfully.

     Moana whirled around and shot him a glare, which he returned with a teasing grin. Moana shook her head and stomped across the yard. Maui was  _so_ irritating... so  _why_ was she smiling?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, probably not my best chapter. Thoughts?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry if this chapter is kinda short. I’m back in school now and I have to balance this with my job, my classes and (oh, yuck) homework. Anyway, enjoy!  
> Warning: this chapter has a bit of foul language; I’m sorry

 

Moana

A few nights later, Moana caught Maui teaching Pua how to look for bombs underneath the limo.

      _Oh, please_ , she thought with a roll of her eyes.

     “Don’t let him get to you, lovely,” Sy said, following her gaze, “Just try to enjoy yourself tonight.”

     Moana nodded and strode to the limo with Sy, Tony and Kai in tow. Maui glanced at them, frowning as he scanned the cape Moana was wearing.

     “What’s going on?”

     “Moana is performing at a club called Lalotai tonight,” Sy explained, “Its not her usual kind of place, but it’s good promotion for her new album.”

     Maui glared at the publicist. “Someone needs to tell me these things ahead of time.”

     Sy smirked back at him, “I just told you.”

     Despite how much Maui got on her nerves, even Moana thought it was asinine of Sy to wait until the last possible second to tell Maui. Kai apparently thought so too, judging by the look on his face.

     Pua got into the driver’s seat as Kai, Tony and Sy slid into the back. Moana was about to follow them when Maui took her wrist.

     “This is for you,” he said as he placed a silver cross set with pearls in her hand.

      _Huh._ “It’s beautiful,” she murmured with a small smile.

     “It’s a silent alarm; just press the pearl in the center if you need me.”

     “Oh, of course,” she sighed. Well, so much for thinking he was trying to be nice.  _Wait, why am I disappointed? The man is driving me mad!_

     It was a long drive to the club; with Tony lecturing Maui on how Moana wanted everything done and Sy going on and on about all the publicity he had planned leading up to the Oscars, Moana was relieved when she spotted paparazzi outside a building with a color changing light that spelled  _Lalotai_. Maui and Tony did a good job of helping the club’s security team keep the fans back as she and her manager and publicist waved and made their way into the club. Halfway to the dressing room, Maui had suddenly gone rigid, his gaze focused at the back of the club.

     “Is something wrong?”

     Maui pressed his lips into a line. “Tony, make sure Moana gets backstage safely. I need to check something out.”

     Frowning, Moana watched Maui until he was lost in the crowd before following Tony into the dressing room. Sy and Kai mentioned speaking to the manager while Tony stood outside the door, giving Moana her privacy.

     Sitting down, Moana quickly touched up her makeup and glanced at the small stack of fan letters. She smiled and opened the one on the top, not noticing at first that the envelope had no writing on it. Reading the words glued to the page, Moana’s face fell and the color drained from her face.

      **MOANA BITCH**

**YOU HAVE EVERYTHING AND I HAVE NOTHING! SPOILED LITTLE SLUTS LIKE YOU SHOULD GO STRAIGHT TO HELL! GET READY TO DIE BITCH!**

 

_Maui_

Maui had been in Lalotai before; he wasn’t surprised that it hadn’t changed much with its purple lighting, black lights and neon decor. Glancing to the back of the club, he stiffened.

      _Oh, no, what’s_ he  _doing here?_

     Tony had been a sting in his side telling him how to do his job, but Maui trusted him enough to get Moana backstage. When that was taken care of, he headed to one of the private tables that lined the walls. The man sitting at it looked up at him with wide, beady eyes.

     “Well, well, well. Look who’s out of prison.”

     “Tamatoa,” Maui greeted evenly, not bothering to hide his displeasure. He couldn’t help but stare at Tamatoa’s purple suit, thick gold neck chains, ringed fingers, Rolex watch, and gold-topped cane that he required with his prosthetic leg. Maui grimaced when Tamatoa smiled and revealed gem-studded teeth.

     “Could you be any tackier?” Maui groaned.

     Tamatoa’s grin widened. “You’re just jealous. There are lots of fish in the sea,  _mon ami_ , and they like shiny things.” He gestured toward two women at the bar who were casting flirtatious looks at Tamatoa. One of them turned her attention to Maui, but he ignored her.

     “How can you afford all that, anyway? Did you turn to honest work, or are you still embezzling money?”

     Tamatoa smirked, “Sit down. I’ll order you a drink and we can... _catch up_.”

     “I’m working.”

     “‘Working?’” Tamatoa scanned Maui’s black t-shirt and army pants. “Are you a bouncer or something?”

     “I’m a bodyguard.”

     Tamatoa’s eyes bugged out of his head before the corners of his thin lips turned up in a cunning smile.

     “I see; am I right in assuming that you’re protecting a certain young singer?”

     Maui said nothing, which said everything.

     “You wouldn’t mind... _introducing_ me to her, would you?” he inquired, his eyes darkening with a certain hunger.

     Maui’s blood boiled. If looks could kill, Tamatoa would’ve been a dead mess on the floor. Maui’s hands clenched into fists.

     “I’m only going to say this once: stay away from Moana Waialiki! Got it?” Maui snarled.

     Tamatoa gave Maui a nonchalant shrug, but he looked thoughtful at Maui’s outburst.

     Maui’s earpiece buzzed before he heard Pua’s panicked voice.  _“Maui, you need to get back here! Right now!”_

     Completely forgetting about Tamatoa, Maui bolted to the dressing room.

 

”Another letter,” Kai told Maui when he entered the room. Moana was sitting in a chair, shaking like a leaf. Kai, Pua and Tony were obviously concerned. Sy just looked annoyed. Maui glanced at the paper that Kai held out.

     “Just like the one found in the master bedroom,” he muttered.

     Moana’s head snapped up. “Someone was in my house?”

     Sy stepped toward her and calmly replied, “Now, don’t panic-“

     Moana raised her voice above Sy’s, “Why didn’t anyone tell me this?”

     “For this very reason,” Sy said, still trying to sound reassuring. “Just try to forget about it while you’re performing.”

     “Performing? Sy, the killer could be out there,” Maui pointed out.

     “You don’t know that,” Sy snapped.

     “But you  _did_ know that someone was in my house, Sy!” Moana shouted.

     “Well, we can’t just cancel; do you know how many people are out there? They will turn into a  _mob_ if Moana doesn’t sing.”

     Sy looked at each of them, waiting for someone to agree with him. He spoke up again after a moment.

     “Okay,  _fine_. Who’s going to break it to the audience? Because it certainly is not going to be  _me_!”

     Maui scowled; he opened his mouth to give the stupid man a piece of his mind when the door opened and one of the bouncers came in.

     “They’re ready for you.”

     Sy turned his back to him, blatantly showing that he meant what he said a second ago. Moana slowly stood up from the chair, the sound of the audience chanting  _Moana! Moana! Moana!_ was the only sound for a tense moment. Then Moana lifted her chin and squared her shoulders.

    “I’ll sing  _one_ song, but that’s it.”

     Sy’s sour expression melted into a satisfied grin. “That’s my brave girl.”

     “Curly-“

     “I’m not going to let some crazy freak run me off the stage, Maui,” she said with finality, ending the discussion.

     Maui inwardly sighed. As much as he admired Moana’s courage, he really didn’t think a one-song concert was worth risking her life for.

     As she followed the bouncer out the dressing room door, Maui exchanged glances with Pua.

     “Get the car ready in case something happens out there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, what’s going to happen next?  
> I think we can all agree that Sy is a scumbag, right?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About the music in this fic, I’m afraid that song-writing isn’t my forte. Feel free to use your imaginations for that.

_Moana_

Still shaking, Moana removed her black cape and handed it to the bouncer, ignoring the way he ogled her turquoise dance costume. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, trying to will away the words that were now seared into her memory.  _Get ready to die..._

     Taking a deep breath, she forced a bright smile to her face and strutted out onto the stage. The crowd went wild.

     “ _Hey_ _everybody! How’re you doing tonight?_ ”

     More cheers.

     “ _I just thought I’d stop by and sing one of my new songs for you. You don’t mind, do you?_  

     The audience screamed louder as the music started and Moana began to dance and sing. Now that she was in her element, she relaxed and started to enjoy herself. She caught Maui’s eye as he moved to stand near the stage; he was clearly not happy with her. She shot him a look that said  _I’m fine_ and continued her act.

     As the song progressed, though, the crowd was getting more frenzied, pushing aside the bouncers and climbing onto the stage to dance with her. Suddenly, she was shoved from the back and she fell into the audience with a scream, losing her microphone in the process. Everyone thought she had done it intentionally, because they were carrying her through the club and, to Moana’s horror, ripping jewelry and accessories from her costume.

     Beginning to panic, the words from the letter echoed through her mind.

      _...go to hell!_

     What if they  _were_ in the club? What if they killed her while she was being hassled by the audience?

    _Get ready to die..._

   Out of the corner of her eye, Moana saw a hulking figure roughly shoving through the crowd to get to her. Moana felt like she could’ve wept from relief when Maui reached her and scooped her bridal-style into his arms. He carried her to an emergency exit, kicking a blond guy in the face to get him out of the way. They emerged into an alley, where Pua was waiting with the limo. Maui placed her in the back seat and got in himself, telling Pua to drive.

     Still quivering with fear, Moana let out an unsteady sigh, tears coursing down her face. Without thinking, she leaned into Maui’s chest. She felt him stiffen, then relax as he put a strong arm around her. It was oddly comforting, and that combined with all that happened that night made her feel drained. The last thing she remembered as she closed her eyes was Maui’s heartbeat against her cheek.

 

The next thing she knew, she was being carried again and being lowered onto a soft surface.

     Opening her eyes, she noticed that she was home, and Maui had carried her to her bed and was pulling the covers over her. As he turned to leave, Moana raised herself onto her elbows.

     “Maui?”

     He stopped in the doorway and turned to look at her.

     “Thank you,” she said softly.

     A small smile crossed his features. “You’re welcome,” was his sincere reply.

     For once, that phrase didn’t grate on Moana’s nerves.

 

_Maui_

Nani emerged from a room down the hall as Maui closed Moana’s door; he was surprised to see her.

     “You live here?”

     Nani shrugged. “Only for the next month; my parents are on vacation in Europe.” Her expression became curious. “Is everything alright? Where’s Kai and the others?”

     “There was an incident at the club,” Maui replied, “I had to get Moana home quickly, so I texted Kai and told them to get a cab.”

     Nani’s face creased with worry. “An incident? Was anyone hurt?”

     “Nah. Moana’s a bit shook up, but she wasn’t hurt.”

     “Oh, thank goodness,” Nani sighed in relief. “Well, goodnight Maui.”

     After Nani went back to her own room, Maui made his way to a small shed that he set up as his living quarters. After checking the video monitors and making sure nothing was out of the ordinary (aside from a cab containing a furious Sy, grouchy Tony and unfazed Kai), Maui slipped into his own bed. After such a crazy night, he was beat.

 

The next morning, Maui put some finishing touches on a hidden camera that faced Moana’s private beach. The work on the estate was pretty much done, save for a few minor details.

     Hearing a rustle behind him, Maui turned to see Moana in the same swimsuit and sarong he had seen on her a few nights before. He chastised himself when he thought how nice the outfit looked on her. Instead of looking annoyed like she usually did when she came across him doing bodyguard stuff, she smiled.

     “Don’t you have anything better to do?” she asked in a teasing tone?

     Maui snorted, unintentionally glancing down at her sarong again.

     “You know the rules for swimming in the ocean,” he teased back.

     Moana smirked. “Will you walk with me?”

     With a nod, Maui opened the gate and they both slowly walked toward the beach.

     “I want to apologize for the way I acted,” she murmured, “if I had known-“

     “You know now.”

     “Yes, and I’ll try to cooperate.”

     “That’s good to hear,” Maui stated emphatically, making Moana giggle.

     Out of the corner of his eye, Maui saw Moana bite her lip, as if nervous.

     “Listen, I want to make it up to you. So, I was wondering if...if you would like to go out to dinner some time. I’ll let you pick where.”

     Maui’s gaze snapped to her, stunned. Was...was  _the_ Moana Waialiki asking him for a  _date_?

     When he didn’t answer right away, Moana’s cheeks went red and she let out a weak laugh.

     “Oh, geez, this is so embarrassing. I’ll...um...I’ll let you think about it.”

     As she moved to take off her sarong, Maui turned away. Partly because he was looking out for the creep, but also to give Moana her privacy and think about her proposition. When she fell asleep on his chest the night before, Pua met his eyes in the rear view mirror and gave him a smirk. Had he said anything, Maui would’ve told him to shut up.

     “Are you gonna go out with her?”

     Lost in thought, Maui didn’t notice until now that Moana had gone waist-deep into the ocean, and Lilo was now standing in her place.

     “Were you eavesdropping?”

     “Maybe,” she said slowly as she sat down in the sand.

     With a chuckle, Maui sat down next to her as she added, “At least you aren’t hurting others to get to her.”

     Maui noticed that her tone had gone bitter, and he furrowed his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

     Lilo sighed, “Nani used to date this hot surfer dude; I think his name was David or something. They were together for almost a year, it seemed like a match made in heaven. But two months ago he tried to make a move on Moana, and she punched him in the face. It turned out he was using Nani all along.”

     Maui tensed, something in his mind clicking with this new information. If Moana had rejected her cousin’s boyfriend...could he be trying to get back at her? He wouldn’t jump to conclusions, but he would tell Te Ka and have someone check him out.

     “So?”

     Lilo’s voice broke through his train of thought. “What?”

     “Are you gonna go on a date with Moana?”

     Maui looked back toward the ocean; Moana was coming back in, smiling when she saw Lilo sitting with Maui. He couldn’t help thinking that she was stunning when she smiled.

      _Maybe_ , he thought.

     

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this kinda went too fast.  
> What do you think? Will Maui go on a date with Moana? Is Nani’s ex behind the letters?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello dears! This chapter is written in a different viewpoint, so it’s going to be super short. I hope you enjoy anyway!

His locker was full of her: autographed pictures, magazine articles, a doll version of her. In his hand, he had a turquoise silk scarf with gold embroidery; she had been wearing it in her hair at Lalotai the night before.

     He lifted it to his face, inhaling the faint coconut sent as he rubbed it against his cheek. Closing his eyes, it was easy to imagine her hair.

     She had been a fool to perform at Lalotai. He made sure that his letter would be at the top of the stack. She had to have read it.

     Hearing footsteps in the hallway, he placed the scarf in the locker and softly closed it.

     Moana Waialiki has been warned. Sooner or later, she would die.  _She. Would. Die._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Shudder* Did anyone else feel creepy vibes? Who would do something like this?


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand here it is! The first date! Finally! HAHA!!!

_Moana_

Moana couldn’t decide what to wear, even though Maui had told her to dress casual. She had narrowed her choices down to a pair of tan Bermuda shorts with an orange tank top or a periwinkle sundress. Laying the two outfits out on her bed, she asked, “What do you think?”

     Lilo was sitting on the bed, petting Heihei as she looked over the options.

     “The shorts,” Lilo replied, “the dress will make him think that you’re trying to throw yourself at him.”

     Re-examining the dress, she realized now that the short skirt and sweetheart neckline were just a bit too revealing.

     “Thanks, cousin,” Moana said, winking at Lilo as she hung the dress back up in her closet.

     “You should’ve seen Sy’s face when Tony let it slip that you were going out with Maui.”

     Moana paused and arched an eyebrow at Lilo. “You really need to break that spying habit of yours.”

     Lilo smirked, completely ignoring Moana. “He was so mad, I thought his head would blow up.”

     Moana bit her lip. Sy hadn’t said a word to Maui since Lalotai. She had to agree that Sy could be a real jerk, but he was still the best publicist in Hawaii, so she couldn’t fire him.

     “Are you doing anything with Nani tonight?” Moana asked, changing the subject. 

     “No. Nani said she had a headache and needed to go to bed early,” Lilo sighed.

      _Again?_ It seemed to Moana that Nani had been getting headaches a lot lately; she hoped she wasn’t getting sick.

     She quickly changed into her shorts and orange shirt before finishing the look with a pair of black high-tops.

     “Well?” Moana struck a dramatic pose for Lilo, making her giggle.

     “Perfect; he’s gonna go nuts.”

     Moana froze, feeling heat climb up her neck and face. She straightened and turned away from Lilo so she wouldn’t see her blushing.

     “It’s not  _that_ kind of date,” she mumbled.

     She glanced over her shoulder as a wicked grin spread across her cousin’s features.

     “Yeah, keep telling yourself that.”

 

To Moana’s relief (and _slight_ disappointment), Maui didn’t go nuts over her plain outfit. As always, he was wearing army pants, boots and a black t-shirt. As they were getting into his car, she couldn’t help but ask if those were the only articles of clothing he owned.

     “Nah,” he joked, “I have a tux, but I only break it out if I absolutely have to.”

     Moana laughed.

     To Moana’s delight, Maui had taken her to the Motunui Boardwalk. It was similar to the one in Atlantic City, only much smaller. Moana couldn’t remember the last time she had been there, due to her busy schedule. Thankfully, no one recognized her in her casual clothes.

     “Was there anything in particular you wanted to talk about?” She asked as Maui bought them hot dogs from a vendor.

     He looked thoughtful for a minute before responding, “Hmm, tell me something about you that none of your fans know.”

     Moana bit into her hot dog as she racked her brain. It wasn’t long before something came to her. He would think it was silly, but what did she have to lose?

      “My biggest dream is to take some time off from being famous to sail around the world.”

     She didn’t realize until now that she had never told anyone that before, except for Gramma Tala. Rather than laughing like she expected him to, Maui looked pleasantly surprised.

     “I like to sail, too. I haven’t been in a while, obviously, but I’m sure I still got it.” He smirked. “Don’t you have a private jet or something you can use to travel the globe?”

     Moana shrugged. “Well, yeah, but it’s not the same; I always loved the water. The only reason I haven’t done it is because my dad is paranoid of me drowning or getting lost at sea.”

     “Ah.”

     They were silent for a few steps, just eating their hot dogs. Then a thought occurred to Moana.

     “Hey, Maui, can I ask you something? You don’t have to answer.”

     Maui raised an eyebrow, which she took as a signal to go on.

     “Why did you steal the Goddess Heart Brooch from Te Fiti?”

     Maui stiffened, his expression unreadable.

     “Like I said, you don’t have to answer,” Moana quickly added.

     After a moment, Moana sighed, “I’m sorry. Just forget I-“

     “Someone I knew had a heart disease,” he interrupted, so softly that Moana almost didn’t hear him.

     “They couldn’t afford surgery, so I decided to help them out. As you know, I was Te Fiti’s bodyguard at the time.”

     His voice became even quieter, as if he were ashamed. “I couldn’t bring myself to ask for a raise, and I couldn’t get a loan to cover the surgery. So I...well...the rest is history.”

     Moana nodded. The Goddess Heart Brooch had belonged to the last Queen of Hawaii; it was worth a ton of money. Moana was tempted to ask him if he had mentioned the disease when he was on trial, or what had happened to his friend. But this was obviously a painful subject for him, and she pried too much already.

     “I’m sorry if I ruined the evening,” he whispered.

     “No,” she argued gently, “ _I’m_ sorry. I shouldn’t have asked; it was none of my business.”

     She reached for his hand. Up until that point, he had been staring at the ground; now his gaze found Moana’s, clearly shocked. Then a small grin lit up his face.

     “To tell you the truth, I’m kind of relieved to get it off my chest.”

     Smiling up at him, Moana felt the tension fading away as he became his cheery self again.

     “So, what do you want to do now?”

 

_Maui_

It  _had_ been a relief to talk about it. Maui had anticipated Moana to be revolted, to call him a coward and a thief. But she was, to his amazement, compassionate and understanding.

     “Would you like to dance?”

     Maui was confused for a second before he realized that she was answering his question. Looking around, he saw that she was talking about an open bar with couples dancing to slow music.

     “Oh, uh, sure,” he stammered.   

     Grinning, Moana led him onto the dance floor. He gulped as she pulled him close to her.

     Looking down into Moana’s eyes, he noticed for the first time that they were a striking amber-brown with flecks of gold. When she smiled up at him, his heart twisted.

     Here was a young woman who was strong, independent, stubborn, and courageous. Yet at the same time she was kind, funny and forgiving. Her being profoundly beautiful was a bonus.

     Glass shattered and Maui tensed, looking around for danger but instead seeing that someone just dropped a liquor bottle.

     “Hey,” Moana said softly, cupping his cheek in her hand and turning his head to face her. “Don’t worry; I’ll protect you.”

     Maui chuckled as Moana leaned her head against his chest. He knew that Moana was a woman he could easily fall for. Maybe he already had.

 

They could have stayed out all night, dancing and playing carnival games and sharing lighthearted banter. Unfortunately, Tony  _and_ Kai told Maui in a very over-protective-dad way to have Moana home by midnight.

     Maui walked Moana to the front door of the mansion, feeling like an awkward teenager out on a date with the Prom Queen.

     “I had a great time tonight,” Moana stated cheerfully as she unlocked and opened the front door.

      “So did I,” Maui agreed, “You go ahead; I’m going to do a perimeter check before I turn in.”

     Moana looked up at him, holding her chin up a bit higher and tilting her head to one side.

     Maui’s heart rate accelerated. She was giving him the cue to kiss her! He wanted to - _oh_ , how he wanted to - but he was frozen in place. When the silence between them bordered on uncomfortable, he cleared his throat and took a step back.

     “Sweet dreams, Curly.”

      _Coward! Coward! Coward!_

     “Oh...goodnight, Maui.” She was polite, but Maui could see the disappointment in her eyes.

     He was just turning away when Moana wrapped a small, strong arm around his neck and pulled him down, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

     Even though it was a chaste kiss, it still sent fire throughout Maui’s veins.

     Before he could react, Moana slipped into the doorway and closed it behind her.

     Maui stood there for a full thirty seconds, gaping at the door like an idiot, trying to decipher what had just happened. 

     Moana had _kissed_ him.

     He grinned throughout his perimeter check. He was glad that Moana had taken matters into her own hands. Still, he was kicking himself for not kissing _her_ when he had the chance. After going through his nightly bodyguard routine, he laid down in bed and stared at the ceiling, one arm under his head. His other hand was lightly rubbing the spot where Moana kissed him.

     Had he checked the video monitors five minutes later, he would have seen a black car driving at a snail’s pace by the mansion before speeding away.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to mix some original stuff in with this crossover. Thoughts?


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update took so long; life and writers block got in the way. Argh! Well, I did my best on this chapter.

_Maui_

Maui woke up with a smile on his face, feeling particularly good that morning. He knew that it had to do with Moana.

     His cell phone buzzed, the caller ID showing that it was Te Ka.

     “I got your message,” she began, “the one about Nani’s ex-boyfriend.”

     Maui sat at his desk to check the recordings on the monitors from the night before to make sure that nothing happened while...

     He froze when he saw that a car had driven slowly by the house.

     “And?”

     “Other than him being a gold-digging dirtbag, he has a clean record. Sources say he’s currently dating a brunette model.”

     “Huh. Does he happen to have a black Hummer?”

     A pause. “I...don’t believe so. Why do you ask?”

     He explained what he was seeing on the monitor.

     “What does the driver look like?”

     He paused the recording and zoomed in on the car to try and see the driver’s face. No such luck; the windows were tinted.

     “I got the license plate number,” Maui continued, “680-CFR.”

     “Got it,” Te Ka said after a moment, “I’ll run it by the DMV and see what they come up with.”

     “Thanks.”

     After Maui disconnected the call and double checked the time the recording was made, he realized that he had only given the monitors a quick glance the night before when he normally would’ve stayed on for about ten minutes. But he had been distracted.

     He cursed himself for being so careless. How could he protect Moana if he couldn’t even think straight? He made the decision to have nothing more than a professional relationship with Moana, as much as it hurt him. It had to be done; if anything happened to her because of him, he would never forgive himself.

     Maui walked across the backyard to the house, running into Nani.

     “Good morning Maui.”

     She smiled and held a magazine out to him. Glancing at it, Maui saw that it was a list of nominees for Best Actress, and Moana was at the top.

     “So she really has a shot, huh?” Maui asked.

     Nani nodded. “She really does have it all. Anyway, I came to tell you that Moana will be doing some charity concerts in Florida starting next week. It’s formal, so you might need a suit.”

     “Thanks for the heads-up.”

     With another nod, she turned and walked away without another word. Maui continued to the house; he needed to talk to Moana.

 

_Moana_

Moana smiled when she saw Maui coming toward her, but froze when he saw an unhappy look on his face.

     “Can I talk to you for a minute, Curly?”

     She nodded, a knot forming in her stomach. It suddenly occurred to her that Maui hadn’t given any hints about who the person was that he stole the brooch for. Maybe it had been a girl he had cared for, and he was still mourning her?

     Moana was chewing on her lower lip as she led him out onto the veranda. He got right to the point.

     “A car drove by the house last night. Do you know anyone with a black Hummer?”

     Moana shook her head _no_.

     Maui pressed his lips together and exhaled. “I was afraid of that. I’m pretty sure that it was the same guy that has been threatening you. I might’ve caught him last night,” his gaze fell to her lips before snapping back up, “but I was distracted.”

     Moana stiffened; was he blaming _her_ for not catching the freak?

     “Listen, Kid, I can’t protect you like this.”

     Moana frowned, not understanding where he was going with this. “What do you mean?”

     “What happened last night,” he paused, “it can’t happen again.”

     “What part of last night? The conversation? The dancing? The...” she was about to say _kiss_ , but she bit her tongue. 

     “All of it,” Maui sighed, “I...I shouldn’t be involved with my client.”

     Moana reeled back as if he had slapped her.

     “Your _client_?” She exclaimed. “Is that all I am to you?”

     Maui flinched. “I’m sorry.”

     “Sorry for what, exactly?” Moana snapped. “For making me feel like an idiot?”

     “That wasn’t my intention,” Maui replied as he walked away from her.

     “Maui!” she called after him, but he didn’t turn back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh. Now what?  
> Sorry if this was a short chapter. Like I said, writers block has been a sting in my side this past week.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you like this next chapter!

_Moana_

Life was miserable all week. Maui stayed on as bodyguard, but whenever Moana was around him, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Even her friends and parents could sense it. Sy was pretty smug about it, though.

     The day before leaving for Orlando, an unexpected visitor showed up.

     “Te Fiti!” Moana shouted as she threw her arms around her friend.

     “How are you, Moana?” Te Fiti replied as she returned the hug.

     Moana sighed as she slumped into a chair. “I’d rather not talk about it. How are you? I haven’t seen you since before I went to California.”

     Te Fiti shrugged as she took the seat next to her. “I was in New York for the Winter Fashion Week, which I absolutely loathe, by the way. None of my clothes fit the models and everything had to be adjusted. Seriously, would it kill those girls to _eat_?”

     “Well, that’s what you get for being a famous fashion designer,” Moana chuckled.

     “Speaking of which,” Te Fiti continued as she opened a garment bag and pulled out a voluminous gown, “I finished restoring your grandmother’s dress so you could wear it to the Oscars.”

     Moana beamed as she examined the blood-orange brocade with microscopic seed pearls scattered like stars across the bodice.

     She was about to thank Te Fiti when her eyes snagged on a tiny jade oval set in gold on the woman’s dress. Seeing the Goddess Heart brooch made Moana think of Maui again...and what he had said.

     Te Fiti frowned. “What is it? Did I do something wrong?”

     “No, it’s beautiful, thank you,” Moana replied, shaking her head, “I just...I was thinking about Maui.”

     “I heard about the problems you two are having,” Te Fiti smirked.

     Moana’s eyes widened. “How...did Kai tell you?”

     “Kai _and_ your mother,” Te Fiti answered. Sighing, she put a hand on Moana’s shoulder. “Do you like him?”

     Moana rolled her eyes. “Are you kidding? He’s driving me crazy!”

     It wasn’t a _total_ lie; he did drive her crazy, but not exactly the way that she implied. Te Fiti arched an eyebrow.

     “So...you _do_ like him.”

     Moana sighed, wondering why she even bothered to lie. “Yeah, but he doesn’t want that kind of relationship with me.”

     “Why not?”

     Moana’s tone hardened, “He said that he shouldn’t be involved with his _client_.”

     Te Fiti pursed her lips, thoughtful. 

     “I didn’t hear you say that he didn’t _want_ to be involved with you.”

     Moana hadn’t thought of it like that.

     Giving Moana a reassuring pat on the shoulder, she stood up. “I’ll talk to him; after I leave you should do the same.”

     “But-“

     Te Fiti held up her hand. “I just want to see if he cares about you as much as you care about him.”

 

_Maui_

Maui had just returned from Te Ka’s office to go over the evidence of Moana’s stalker; it was one dead-end after another. Whoever it was knew what the police would be looking for and did everything to cover their tracks. Even the car that had been driving by the house was reported as stolen.

     Maui felt like hitting his head against the steering wheel.

     As Maui got out of his car, he was shocked to see Te Fiti, of all people, striding towards him. The last time he saw her, he was sentenced to ten years in jail.

     “Te Fiti,” he said with an awkward smile. He rambled incoherently for a moment before asking, “How’ve ya been?”

     Te Fiti remained stone-faced.

     “Um, look, about what I did-“

     “Never mind that,” Te Fiti interrupted, “I want to know what’s going on between you and Moana.”

     Maui almost choked. Despite what he had told Moana a week ago, the tension around them was even more distracting than the kiss had been.

     When Maui didn’t answer, Te Fiti have a nod.

     “That’s what I thought,” she softened her tone, “So, why do you think you can’t be in a relationship with her?”

     Feeling stupid, Maui explained what happened with the car.

     “And is being professional working out for you?”

     He opened his mouth to say that it was working out fine, but instead what came out was, “Not at all. It’s actually worse.”

     For the first time, Te Fiti smiled at him.

     “If you care about her, then she should be easier for yo to protect than if she was just a client.”

     Thinking about it, Maui decided that she was right. 

     Te Fiti’s expression suddenly grew somber. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

     Maui’s throat constricted. Not trusting himself to speak, he simply nodded.

     Stepping forward, Te Fiti laid a hand in Maui’s shoulder, forcing him to look into her emerald eyes.

     “You should talk to Moana; tell her how you really feel.”

     Maui managed a small smile. “Thank you. I will.”

     

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo! Go Te Fiti!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn’t decide which POV to write this in, so I combined them.

_Maui & Moana_

Neither of them had any time to talk that day, what with the planning and packing for Moana’s charity concerts in Orlando.

     At least, that’s what they told themselves. They were really just stalling.

     That night, being unable to sleep, Moana contemplated going down to the ocean. On one hand, it would help to clear her head. On the other hand, it meant that Maui had to be with her.

      _Oh, to heck with it!_ Moana thought as she tossed her covers aside and grabbed her bathing suit. She might as well just talk to Maui and get it over with.

     Coming to Maui’s shed, she hesitated before lightly knocking. She felt a slight twinge of hope (or was it fear?) that he was fast asleep. It was after midnight, after all.

     Maui opened the door, not surprised to see Moana standing there like a deer in headlights. Glancing at her sarong, he smirked.

     “Can’t sleep?”

     Moana shook her head. “I thought I would go for one more swim before I go to Florida for two weeks.”

     “Well,” Maui continued as he closed the door behind him, “you know what that means for me.”

     Moana nodded as they headed for the beach.

 

They were both silent during their walk, not knowing where to start with their conversation. When they got to the beach, Maui motioned toward the ocean.

     “Actually,” Moana slowly said as she sat down in the sand, “its a beautiful night; I think I’ll enjoy it for a bit before I go in the water.”

     “Oh...okay,” Maui replied, sitting next to her.

     A few moments passed in awkward silence.

     “So...” Moana said, trying to dissolve the tension.

     “So,” Maui echoed, “I saw that Te Fiti came by today.”

     He knew that was a dumb thing to say, but he couldn’t think of anything better at the moment.

     “Yeah. I asked her to restore one of my Gramma’s dresses, and she was dropping it off.”

     “Ah.”

     They were quiet again for another moment.

     “Did the two of you talk about anything interesting?”     

     Moana hugged her knees to her chest. _We were talking about how I feel about you._

 _“_ She just got back from Fashion Week in New York; she was annoyed that her clothes were too big for the models.”

     Maui chuckled. “Yeah, she was like that when I worked for her. I lost count of how many times she complained whenever one of her models decided to go on a diet.”

     A small smile flickered across Moana’s face before disappearing. Then she sighed.

     “Maui, we really need to talk.”

     Maui tensed, knowing where this was going.

     Moana opened her mouth to speak again, but the words she wanted to say got stuck in her throat. Inwardly deflating, she mumbled, “Are you ready to go to Orlando tomorrow?”

     Maui was shocked, but he tried not to show it.

     “As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess. I made arrangements to inspect the hotel and concert venue as soon as we get there.”

     Moana relaxed as the topic shifted to her safety.

     “You figure that no one can get past you?”

     “If a person is desperate enough to kill somebody, no one can stop them, Kid.”

     Moana scoffed, “Then what do I need you for?”

     “They might get me instead,” Maui replied with a shrug.

     “And you’re willing to die for me?” Moana quietly asked.

     Without hesitation, Maui nodded.

     “Why?”

     Maui felt his face beginning to burn, but instead of trying to hide it, he locked his gaze with Moana’s. She seemed to understand what he was trying to communicate; she blushed, a radiant smile spreading across her face.

     “I feel the same way about you,” she murmured.

     Maui knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he didn’t care. He nodded toward the ocean.

     “Do you want to go out now?”

     Nodding, Moana got to her feet. When Maui did the same, she noticed for the first time that he was wearing swim trunks.

     “Were you planning to join me?” she asked.

     Maui shrugged as he slipped off his t-shirt. “A swim sounded nice before you came out.”

     Moana barely heard him. She couldn’t help but gawk at the sea of tattoos that covered his well-muscled arms and torso.

     When she didn’t respond, Maui turned to her and saw her staring at him. Arching an eyebrow, he smirked and subtly flexed his muscles.

     “Like what you see?”

     Aware that he was teasing, Moana scowled and shoved him before running into the waves.

     After splashing and chasing each other for a while, Maui let Moana catch him, wrapping his arms around her and spinning her around. When he set her down, she took his face in her hands. She paused, waiting to see if it was okay.

     Maui wasn’t going to chicken out this time.

     He pulled her to him, lightly brushing his lips against hers. When she didn’t pull away, he kissed her more fully, both of them knowing they were falling in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY! It’s about time, you two dorks!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we’re back with our two lovebirds! Glad they worked things out!

_Maui_

It had been arranged that Moana and her entourage would fly around in a helicopter while Maui and a team of investigators inspected Moana’s room and the hotel. He made sure nothing was overlooked; he brought in bomb dogs, memorized the guest list for the concerts and the galas afterwards, and made sure that there would be clear quick-escape routes if necessary.

     Everyone was in the Presidential Suite when the inspection was finished. He was just about to enter Moana’s room when he heard her shout, “Are you out of your mind, Sy?”

     Maui paused.

     “Darling,” Sy replied, “this will greatly boost your chances at getting an Oscar.”

     “Don’t you have enough faith that I can get an Oscar without that _creep_ getting involved?”

     “Well, there _have_ been rumors of you two circulating for some time-“

     “There is _nothing between_ _us_ , Sy!”

     Maui frowned. He didn’t think that they were talking about him...or were they?

     Did Moana think he was a _creep_?

     Bullets couldn’t have hit him harder than that.

 

_Moana_

Before Sy could go on, Moana stormed out of the room. She was surprised to find Maui in the hallway, looking hurt.

     “I take it you heard all that?”

     Maui just nodded. It occurred to Moana that he might have misheard the argument, and she hurried to set the record straight.

     “I can’t believe that Sy wanted me to go out with Hans Kingson!”

     Maui’s head snapped up. “Hans Kingson?”

     Moana smirked, “Yeah, my jerk of a costar. Sy wanted me to fake-date him so I could increase my chance at getting an Oscar.”

     Moana could see the tension leave Maui’s shoulders. “Oh,” he sighed.

     Moana smiled and gestured to the balcony, needing some fresh air. She ran her hand over Maui’s forearm.

     “Did you really think we were talking about you?” she asked.

     Maui shrugged. “I honestly didn’t know. You probably would’ve called me a creep if we had the same relationship that we had the first few weeks of me working for you.”

     Moana chuckled and kissed his cheek. “Maybe then, but not now.”

     Maui grinned as he moved to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her as she leaned against his chest. 

     “So, about this Hans...”

     Moana rolled her eyes. “Oh, he’s probably the most obnoxious person in show business. He tried to seduce me while we were filming the movie, but I made it clear that I wasn’t interested.” 

     She sighed, “Hans is clearly the type of guy that no one says ‘no’ to, because then he started threatening me.”

     Moana felt Maui stiffen.

     “Not like in the letters,” she quickly said, “just that he would give me a bad reputation, ruin my career, blah blah blah. But they were all empty threats.”

     Maui turned Moana so that she was facing him. “Are you sure that he wouldn’t be behind the letters?”

     Moana bit her lip, remembering her time with Hans. “Well,” she replied, “I wouldn’t be surprised, but I don’t think he would actually act out on what he said.”

     Maui didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t pry. He gave Moana a reassuring smile as he held her close again.

     “Whether he’s the one writing the letters or not, I won’t let anyone hurt you. I promise.”

     Moana gave a contented sigh as she closed her eyes. “I believe you.”

     They stood like that for a moment, watching as the setting sun cast a kaleidoscope of colors across the sky.

     “Moana,” Maui whispered.

     “Hmm?”

     “I love you.”

     Moana pulled back and looked up into his face.

     “Wow,” she deadpanned, “you’re confessing how you feel as the sun sets; how classic.”

     “I thought it was perfect,” Maui responded with a roll of his eyes, “Unless your idea of romance is proclaiming love in front of an erupting volcano?”

     “I was just kidding,” she laughed before planting a quick peck on his lips. “I love you, too.”

     Before she could go back inside, Maui scooped a burly arm around her and kissed her again. It happened so fast that Moana barely registered the look of disgust on Sy’s face as he walked by the open balcony door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Frozen” owns Hans, not me.  
> I thought about Maui mishearing the conversation and creating tension that would span a chapter or two...but that’s too clichéd. Besides, I wanted to write just little more romantic fluff before the story took a suspenseful turn. (Mwahahaha!)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Enjoy what comes next for Moana and Maui!

_Maui_

If there was anything Maui hated, it was wearing a tuxedo. He only wore his on special occasions, and as a result the thing was just a little too tight around his more muscular areas. Given the choice, he would’ve preferred his usual t-shirt and army pants. But this event was formal.

     He kept his eyes on the concert audience, but his gaze kept drifting back to Moana as she sung on the stage. He couldn’t help it; she looked absolutely stunning.

     Moana’s long velvet sheath dress was a soft blue - almost white, which contrasted nicely with her dark hair and bronze skin - and had a surprisingly modest neckline and knee-high slit in the skirt. The only makeup she wore was a touch of eyeliner and a smoky-red lipstick, and her hair was swept up loosely and held in place with a single pin so that a few curls framed her face. 

     Moana also kept her gaze on the audience, but if she got to a romantic line in one of her songs, she would sneak a glance at Maui, as if she were singing it for him. Maui caught her doing that more than once, and at one point he gave her a flirtatious wink in acknowledgment. Moana beamed and infused even more passion into the lyrics.

     Later, at the gala, Maui kept his eye on Moana from a distance as she mingled. It might’ve been an exclusive shindig, but that didn’t mean it was totally safe.

     Someone cleared their throat behind Maui, and he turned to see a blonde woman wearing a black sequined cocktail dress that left little unexposed. She seemed vaguely familiar, but Maui couldn’t place her. She smiled coquettishly at him as she latched onto his arm.

     “I’ve been watching you from across the room all night,” she purred.

      _Oh, please! That’s_   _a_ _creepy_ _pickup_ _line_ , Maui thought. Pulling his arm out of her grasp, he gestured over his shoulder.

     “Why don’t you go back over there and keep watching?”

     The woman froze, then she stomped back across the room, pouting. 

     Maui’s brow furrowed. He knew he had seen that woman before. He thought that maybe she was some rich heiress or something, but that didn’t feel right.

     He shook his head and looked back to Moana; she was looking at him with a jealous frown on her face. Maui rolled his eyes and smirked as if to say, _Can you believe that lady?_

Moana smiled, then visibly tensed.

 

_Moana_

Moana scowled when the blonde practically draped herself over Maui. She was extremely tempted to storm over there and snap at her to find her own boyfriend. 

     It turned out that she didn’t have to. Maui said something to shut her down and she left him with a pout. He met Moana’s gaze and rolled his eyes at the woman’s antics, which made Moana relax.

     “Moana!”

     Moana cringed. With a sigh, she addressed the voice.

     “Hello, Hans.”

     Hans Kingson had been one of her costars in her movie. He thought he was better than everyone else and had a reputation for treating women like dirt, which was why Moana didn’t like him. But his fame, good looks and “charm” caused girls to flock to him anyway. Right now, his gaze was slowly raking over Moana’s body, and she resisted the urge to punch his teeth out.

     “You look good,” he said.

     “Thanks,” she huffed, “but it’s not for _your_ benefit.”

     Hans ignored her as he stepped closer. Moana took a step back.

     “So,” he drawled, “Are you doing anything after this?”

     Moana squared her shoulders. “I’m turning in early, since I have a busy schedule tomorrow.”

     Hans smirked. “Well, why don’t you spend the night with _me_?”

     The color drained from Moana’s face and she swallowed the bile that rose up in her throat.

     “I am not interested in you, Hans,” she hissed, “why don’t you get that through your thick skull?”

     Hans glared at her as he gripped her arm so hard she yelped.

     “Now, you listen to me, you stuck-up little-“

     “Get your hands off of her,” Maui growled behind Hans. Hans snarled as he spun around.

     “Or wha- oh...” he trailed off as he took in Maui’s height and enormous muscles.

     “Hans,” Moana said with false politeness, “this is my bodyguard, Maui. Maui, this is Hans Kingson.”

     Hans recovered and held out his hand to Maui. 

     But instead of taking it, Maui ground out, “If you ever touch her again, I’ll break your hands off.”

     Hans paled and skulked away like a dog with his tail between his legs. Maui’s expression softened as he looked back to Moana.

     “Are you okay?”

     Moana nodded. “I don’t think my arm will bruise, but now I have a headache. I think I’m ready to leave.”

     Maui offered her his arm, and they made for the elevators, since the gala was in the hotel. When they stepped in, Maui stood behind Moana and lightly trailed his fingertips down her arms, making her shiver. He pressed his lips to the top of her head.

     “You’re so beautiful,” he said under his breath.

     In response, Moana turned her head and kissed him just before more guests started to crowd into the elevator.

     Exiting onto their floor, they both paused at the door to the suite.

     “I’m going to check the floor,” Maui said.

    “Okay. Well, thank you for saving me from Hans.”

     Maui smiled and pulled her to him, murmuring “You’re welcome.”

     Moana closed her eyes as their lips pressed together, but a tickling sensation on her neck and back caused her to gasp and jump away. Maui grinned slyly as he held up a hairpin.

     “Sorry; I couldn’t resist.”

     Realizing that her hair had fallen down, she shook her head and snatched the pin from him.

     “Good night, Maui,” she said emphatically.

     “‘Night, non-princess.”

     Moana snorted and lightly hit his chest before slipping into the suite. 

     “You look happy.”

     Moana started but relaxed when she saw Kai with a book in his lap. He had never been one for social events.

     “Is it Maui?” Kai continued.

     Moana leaned against the door and bit her lip, failing to contain a joyful smile.

     Kai gave Moana a fatherly look. “He’s a good man; I’m happy for you. And your parents like him.”

     Moana sighed in relief. “That’s good. I’m going to bed; long day tomorrow, you know?”

     “Mmhmm. Good night, Moana.”

 

     She had just changed into her pajamas and was brushing her hair when the hotel landline rang. 

     “Hello?”

     “Moana?” A small voice asked.

     Moana smiled. “Lilo, is that you?”

     But it was a deep, masculine voice that responded.

     “ _Nooooo! Nooooo..._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh gosh...


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be a short chapter. I also edited Chapter 12.

He winced slightly as Moana slammed the phone. It had been awhile since he had sent her a note, and the Hawaii police department discovered that he had stolen the Hummer, making it impossible for him to drive by her house.

     He wanted to remind her that he was still there. He was still waiting for the opportunity to kill her.

     It would be more difficult to do now that she had a bodyguard. The blonde prostitute from Lalotai had been hired to lure him away so he couldn’t interfere with his plans. Unfortunately, the bodyguard and the singer had become rather close. When he had seen her kiss him, it had taken all his willpower to suppress his rage and not murder them both on the spot. 

     But no matter. Moana Waialiki would be dead soon enough. Even that hulking bodyguard wouldn’t be able to protect the little tramp. He would get rid of anyone who stood in his way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like the psycho from Chapter Six is back. Who do you think it could be?


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I’m back! After what happened the last few chapters, what do you think will happen next?

_Maui_

As soon as he entered the suite, Maui knew that something was wrong. Kai was pacing back and forth in agitation and practically ran to Maui when he noticed him.

     “Another letter?”

     Kai shook his head. “He got a hold of Moana on the landline; she thought it was Lilo calling from Hawaii.”

     Maui stiffened. “Where is she?”

     “Out on the balcony getting some fresh air. The call really shook her up,” Kai replied.

     Maui emerged onto the balcony to see Moana curled up on a chaise lounge with her back to him, shaking and rubbing her arms in an attempt to comfort herself. Maui came up behind her.

     “Hey-“

     Her fist collided with his jaw before he saw it coming. He stumbled back in shock as her fierce glare melted into a mortified gasp.

     “I’m sorry,” she rambled, “the freak called me and I’m kinda on edge - well, I’m actually _really_ on edge - and I had no idea anyone was behind me and-“

     “Nice right hook, Kid,” Maui cut her off while rubbing where she hit him. Then he smirked at her. “I _almost_ feel sorry for Nani’s ex.”

     Moana gave him a small smile before her anxiety returned. Maui sat down next to her and pulled her to sit across his lap. She buried her face in his neck as she inhaled an unsteady breath.

     “Maui,” she whispered, “Can we go somewhere? Someplace where no one can find us? My family will have to come too; I don’t know if he would try to hurt them, and I don’t want to take any chances.”

     Maui frowned. “Did he really freak you out that much?”

     “It wasn’t _what_ he said, but _how_ he said it.” Moana sniffled. “Please?”

     “You will have to cancel the rest of the Florida trip,” Maui said.

     Moana nodded eagerly.

     “And you’ll have to give your employees a vacation.”

     “I can do that,” she replied, almost desperate, “I’m so scared, Maui, and I hate that feeling.”

     “I know,” he replied softly as he wrapped his arms around her.

     It didn’t take long for an idea to come to him. “Have you ever been to Colorado?”

     Moana pulled back to give him a curious look. “I did a concert at Denver Red Rocks once.”

     “How about Estes Park? An old friend of mine lives on the outskirts in a secluded cabin; nobody could ever guess you were there.”

     She released a relieved sigh and slumped against his chest. “That sounds perfect.”

 

Maui could never understand why Theo decided to settle in a place that was so cold this time of year. Granted, the snow-covered mountains and woods _were_ beautiful, but still. On the bright side, no one would suspect that a superstar and her family were hiding out in the isolated cabin facing a small lake.

     Bittersweet emotions stirred in Maui as soon as he laid eyes on the house. He had last visited it a few months ago, and that was hardly a happy time. His thoughts were cut short when Theo exited the house with a big smile on his face. 

     "Maui, good to see you!" he boomed as he pulled Maui into a bear hug. Even with the man's gray hair and wrinkled skin, he was strong enough to knock the wind out of anyone, even Maui.

     Theo turned as Moana, her parents, Nani and Lilo exited the van they rented.

     "And you're Moana Waialiki; you're a very talented young woman! The rest of you must be her family. I'm Theo."

     As introductions were made, Maui surveyed the area out of habit. Even though he knew they were safe, he refused to let his guard down.

 

_Moana_

"It's so peaceful here," Moana commented to Theo. She was helping him in the kitchen while Maui and the rest of her family were out enjoying the snowy weather.

     "Thank you," Theo replied, "my wife and I wanted a place where we could hear ourselves think."

     Moana nodded. They worked in comfortable silence for a while until curiosity got the best of her. "So, how do you know Maui?"

     Without hesitation, he said, "We adopted him." He paused, his expression becoming thoughtful. "He was abandoned as a newborn. We had just been told that Angelica couldn't have children, so it wasn't that hard of a decision to take him in."

     Moana wasn't sure what to say; she had expected that Theo had known Maui from the bodyguard business or something, not adopted family.

     "Angelica...was she your wife?"

     Theo nodded. "Her heart started failing her about ten years ago. Poor Maui was so desperate to help. Did he tell you what happened?"

     "Yes," she murmured.

     "The reason he didn't tell anyone  _why_ he stole the brooch was because he knew what he did was wrong, despite his good intentions, and he was willing to accept the consequences." Theo sighed. "It was a miracle that Angelica survived as long as she did; Te Fiti eventually found out and dropped the charges against Maui just in time for him to say goodbye to her."

     Moana could feel tears pricking her eyes. Laying a hand on Theo's shoulder, she whispered, "I'm so sorry."

     Theo smiled sadly and nodded in thanks before continuing his cooking.

     Moana's gaze drifted to the window. Outside, Maui was teaching Lilo how to start up a small motorboat. Moana didn't think she could love that man any more. But after hearing what she did, she knew that she couldn't love him any _less_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long break. I had writer’s block, mountains of homework, a business deal, and a bad cold.  
> My favorite scene in “Moana” is when she punches Maui in the face; and I just had to put it in this fic.  
> What are your thoughts on Maui’s backstory?


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! You know the scene in "Big Hero 6" where Hiro is hitting his head on the desk? Yeah, that was me with this chapter. So, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

_Moana_

Everyone seemed relaxed at dinner (no chicken, since Lilo said that Heihei was there and it would've been an abomination). Theo told stories about Maui's childhood. Maui pretended to be embarrassed, but Moana could tell that he was just trying not to laugh at himself.

     After a while, Moana started to feel tired and decided to go to bed. Naturally, Maui walked her to her room, stopping by the door.

     Moana hesitated, "I-I'm sorry about...Angelica."

     Maui gave her a small, sad smile. "Thank you," he breathed.

     "She must have been pretty amazing for you to..." she trailed off, realizing what she almost said. "I'm sorry."

     "It's okay," Maui replied with a shrug. "She was the only mom I ever knew, but she was darn good at it. I wanted to help her, ya know?"

     Moana nodded; she remembered feeling the same way when her grandmother was on her deathbed. Maui leaned down and lightly pressed his lips to hers.

     "Well, goodnight, Curly" he said cheerfully.

     Before he could step back, Moana playfully caught his fishhook necklace and pulled him down for another kiss. Maui froze, unprepared for her bold move, before burying his hands in her hair and kissing her back. Moana smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, biting her lip to keep from giggling as Maui covered her face and hair with sweet little pecks.

     "Ahem."

     They both sprang apart to see Nani standing in the hallway with a stone-faced expression. It occurred to Moana then that this was the first time that anyone from her family had seen her and Maui kissing. She didn't even remember if she told any of them that they were in a serious relationship; she had been too preoccupied by the chaotic threats she had been getting.

     Nani opened the door to her room and paused, giving Moana and Maui an amused smirk.

     "Goodnight, you two." Those were the words that came out of her mouth, but her tone clearly said _you better behave yourselves_.

      Feeling heat flood her face, Moana sighed. "We should tell my family about us."

     "I agree. How about tomorrow morning?"

     "Okay. Tomorrow morning, then." Moana gave her boyfriend one last quick kiss on the cheek before slipping into her room.

 

_Maui_

Maui woke up to the sound of chatter coming from the dining room. He headed down to see everyone enjoying a big breakfast without him.

     "It's about time you got up," Nani snorted, "we're almost done here."

     "I must've been more tired than I thought," Maui retorted as he got himself some coffee and a cinnamon roll.

     As he sat down, he met Moana's eyes and she gave him a nod. He nodded back and she cleared her throat.

     "Um, Maui and I have something to tell everyone," she said, her voice laced with nervousness.

     "You two are dating," Lilo deadpanned, making everyone except Moana and Maui laugh.

     "Uh, yeah," Maui stuttered, "how did you guess?"

     Sina was the one to respond. "If the two of you were trying to keep it a secret, you were doing a terrible job. The way you look at each other and interact were dead giveaways."

     "We're happy for you," Tui remarked, but then grew serious as he turned to Maui. "But Moana is still my daughter. I'm sorry that Theo has to hear this, but if you hurt my little girl in any way, I will kill you."

     Theo scoffed. "If he hurt Moana, or any woman, _I_ would kill him. He knows better than to do that."

     Maui nodded and looked Tui in the eye. "Even if it wasn't my job, I would die to protect Moana from anyone who would try to hurt her, so I would never hurt her myself."

     Maui's gaze flicked to Moana, and he could see a pleased flush spread across her face.

     "Good answer," Tui smiled as he stood up. "Is there any coffee left?"

 

Later that afternoon, Maui, Tui and Theo were out walking around the cabin. 

     "It'll give the three of us a chance to get to know each other better," Theo said when he suggested it, "Who knows, we might become in-laws someday."

     Maui was mortified by that statement; he and Moana had just announced their relationship that morning, after all. Surprisingly, Tui laughed in agreement with Theo. 

     Now the three of them were trekking the property, occasionally stopping to examine animal tracks, and were returning just as Moana, Nani and Sina were emerging from the cabin. Lilo was nowhere in sight.

     Maui heard a clucking at his feet and looked down to see Heihei pecking at a set of footprints. He smiled, until he noticed something off about them. They were too small to be his or Tui's or Theo's, but too big to belong to any of the women. And they were coming from the dock and heading into the woods.

     At that moment, Maui heard the motorboat start up. His stomach dropped when he saw that Lilo was in the boat alone.

     " _Lilo, don't!_ " he shouted and sprinted toward the dock, with everyone else screaming Lilo's name and rushing after him.

     The boat was just passing the end of the dock when Maui grabbed Lilo to pull her out of the boat; he lost his balance and they both fell into the icy water. He pushed Lilo onto the dock as Theo and Moana's family got there. 

     "Lilo, we told you not to go on that boat alone," Tui scolded.

     "S-s-sorry," Lilo sighed through chattering teeth as Theo draped his coat around her. 

     Moana got down on her knees to help Maui out of the water. When he started shivering, she put her arms around him.

     "How are we going to get the boat back?" Sina asked.

     At that moment, the boat exploded.

     Someone had rigged it with a bomb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh. My. Gosh. Thoughts?


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something is going to happen in this chapter that I doubt anyone will like.  
> Warning: this chapter has alcohol and some blood.

_Moana_

Everyone was rushing to get everything packed. It was chaos; everything was just being shoved into bags while Lilo was wrapped up in blankets, looking like she was in shock.

     As much as Moana wanted to think about something else - _anything_ else - all she could see in her mind’s eye was the boat being blown to bits...and her younger cousin almost going up with it. She had been telling herself that the letters were nothing more than empty threats, but what happened with the boat shattered that illusion like glass. She was shaking with tears running down her face; she couldn't even pause in her packing to compose herself because they had to get out of there.

     When she and her family got downstairs, she could see that Maui and Theo were slightly distressed. Maui turned to them.

     "Both of the car batteries are dead."

     "What?" Moana squeaked.

     "Whoever rigged the boat drained the batteries. And we can't call for help because they also cut the phone lines and we're too far from a tower to have cell service." Theo explained.

     "What should we do?" Nani asked.

     "Theo and I were just discussing that," Maui replied as he gestured to the evening sky. "It's too dangerous to try and walk to the town in the dark. We don't really have a choice but to lockdown tonight and head out at dawn."

     Moana collapsed into a chair, barely registering Maui coming to her side and trying to reassure her.

     "Why is this happening?" she sobbed, "Why would someone do something like this? Who is this monster?"

     "Hey, hey," Maui whispered soothingly, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Nothing is going to happen to you or your family, I promise."

     "Don't make promises you can't keep, Maui," she said a little harsher than she intended.

     When he flinched, she sighed. "I'm sorry."

     "I get it. I'm upset too."

     Moana leaned into him. She was petrified to stay there like sitting ducks, but, like Maui said, they didn't have a choice. Besides, Maui and Theo had guns.

 

_Maui_

Everyone except Theo and Maui was in the master bedroom, none of them really sleeping. Theo was upstairs while Maui was on the main level.

     Maui's senses were on high alert. The murderer was no lunatic. Well, he was, but he knew what to do and how to do it.

     He heard a noise coming from the kitchen. Entering, Maui was surprised to see Nani sitting at the breakfast nook with a tumbler and a bottle of liquor. Sniffling, she looked up at Maui.

     “So, what did you think of today?” she asked, her words slightly slurred.

     Looking out the window opposite from her, Maui answered, “Whoever this guy is, he seems to know what he’s doing.”

     “He does.”

     Maui’s head whipped around so fast he almost pulled a neck muscle. He prayed that he heard her wrong.

     But Nani nodded and repeated, “He does.”

     Sliding into the seat across from Nani, he moved the liquor bottle away from her.

     “You need to tell me _everything_.”

     Nani released an exhausted sigh. “It was right after my boyfriend and I broke up. I was feeling really depressed; it wasn’t the first time a man used me to try and get to Moana.

     “So I went to Lalotai for a night out. After a few drinks I felt like blaming Moana for what happened. She has her daddy’s money, her Gramma’s fancy house, all the fame, all the adoration, all the _men_ wanting _her_. She has _everything_ and I have _nothing_.”

     Maui shuddered at how much her words sounded like the letters. He could tell by her rehearsed tone that Nani had nursed a grudge against Moana for a long time, maybe even years.

     “I started asking around, and I eventually found a guy who said he would make the arrangements.”

     “What was his name?”

     Nani rubbed her forehead. “I was so wasted. I think it was Tom or Tama or something...”

     Maui’s body went rigid. “Tamatoa?”

     Nani shrugged.

     “He arranged it, and whoever he got doesn't even know who hired him, I have no idea who he is, so I can't call it off. He'll keep going until he kills Moana.”  

     "And the letters? What about the letters?"

     Nani's voice rose. “I don't know who's writing them! They're reading my mind! Those are _my_ thoughts! _I! Hate! Her!_ ”

     She dissolved into sobs. “I never meant for him to hurt my baby sister, or anyone else! Oh, God, he almost killed _Lilo_!”

     Maui let her cry for a few minutes before she tried to compose herself. 

     "You have to stop him," she whispered, "before he kills Moana. All this is my fault; I'm such a stupid b-"

     "Shh, shh." Maui heard something coming from upstairs. Pulling his gun from the holster, he turned to Nani.

     "Stay here and don't move!"

     He crept upstairs, gun ready. He slammed the master room door open, startling Moana and her family.

     "Heihei is acting nervous," Lilo murmured.

     Theo came into the room just as Heihei started squawking and flapping his wings.

     "What's going on?" Moana asked. "Where's Nani?"

     A scream sounded downstairs. " _No, NO! I'm the one who pa_ -"

     Nani's voice was cut off by a gunshot.

     "Stay with them," Maui told Theo before racing down the steps. 

     He found Nani lying on the kitchen floor, gasping for breath as blood started to pool around her. Maui knelt down to examine her torso; he didn't think the bullet hit any vital organs. He took Nani's hand and pressed it to the wound to keep her from bleeding out just as someone outside ran past the window.

     Maui sprang up and ran to the back door, which was surprisingly unlocked. _The killer picked the lock._

     He paused, listening.

      _Footsteps_.

     For once, Maui felt grateful for snow.

     He took off in the direction of the footsteps until it stopped. He paused again and closed his eyes, relying on his hearing.

     A twig snapped. He fired the gun.

     The running started up again. Maui chased the sound, but the killer had gotten into a car and started driving off. Maui fired the gun until it was out of range.

     He cursed under his breath before returning to the cabin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me! When I started this, I tried to create an original character to be the traitor, but I couldn’t make it work, so Nani got the part. Again, please don’t hate me!


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, readers! I meant to post this chapter a few days ago for my birthday, but I had a class and no computer access.
> 
> Things definitely took a dramatic turn in the last chapter; let’s see what happens.

_Moana_

Moana had never been so stressed in her life. Nani had been in surgery for hours, getting treated for the gunshot. It had been a small miracle that Maui had been able to carry her all the way to the hospital, although whether she lived or not was another matter.

     She was furious. When Maui tried to put his arm around her, she shot him a glare that could wither flowers. He froze, then stood up and mumbled something about needing to make some phone calls.

     Moana knew that she shouldn’t be angry with Maui, of all people, but the guy who shot her cousin wasn’t there and she needed to direct her anger _somewhere_. _This_ was why she didn’t want him to promise that her family would be safe! He wasn’t a hero! He wasn’t there and now Nani...Nani could...

     She couldn’t help it anymore; she started crying.

     A nurse appeared and approached the family.

     “She’s going to be fine, and she said she needs to speak to Moana alone.”

     Everyone relaxed, and Moana motioned for Maui to stay with the rest of her family while she followed the nurse to the room they put Nani in.

     Nani looked up as soon as Moana entered, her expression unreadable.

     “Hey,” Moana said cheerfully, sitting in the chair next to her. “The nurse said you’re going to be-“

     “I need to tell you something,” Nani croaked, “It’s important.”

     “Okay,” Moana replied after a moment.

     Nani let out an unsteady sigh.

     “The first letter came when I was still with David. I threw it away without telling anyone about it because I didn’t want anyone to worry.”

     She paused. “After what David tried to do to you, I did something I shouldn’t have.”

 

Moana slowly stumbled through the hospital, feeling completely numb. She had no idea that Nani felt that way about her. That she was jealous enough to actually...

      _Oh, God._

Maui found her and, judging by the look on his face, he knew what Nani had confessed. Without a word, she fell into his arms.

     “Te Ka is going to arrest Tamatoa,” he murmured into her hair. “I called Tony; he’s going to come up here while I go to Hawaii and disembowel that idiot.”

     Moana smiled despite the situation, then frowned.

     “Do you have to go?”

     “Mo, it’s only gonna be for a day or two. And you’ll have Tony and Theo here.”

     “I know,” she sighed, “I just feel the safest with you.”

     Maui placed a kiss on top of her head. 

     “I’ll come back.”

 

_Maui_

After Tony arrived in Colorado, Maui flew back to Hawaii to interrogate Tamatoa. He had been arrested as soon as Maui called Te Ka with the info.

     “Has he said anything?” Maui asked Te Ka.

     She shook her head. “He made it clear that he’ll only talk to you.”

     Tamatoa grinned smugly when Maui entered, and he felt his blood boil.

     “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t rip off your other leg!” Maui ground out.

     “Because I have information that you want.”

     Maui growled as he sat down across from him.

     “Talk.”

     “What? No ‘how’ve you been, Ta-‘“

     “Who did you hire?” Maui snapped, already losing his patience.

     Tamatoa sniffed. “If I tell you, will I get a lesser sentence?”

     “That’s not for me to decide. Who. Did. You. Hire?”

     He must have heard the dangerous tone in Maui’s voice, because he lost his bravado and shifted almost uncomfortably.

     “His name is Claude Frollo.”

 

”It took less than five minutes to get the background on this guy,” Te Ka said as she dropped a file folder on her desk.

     “And?”

     “He _was_ a judge in Paris, Texas, but was disbarred for, and I quote, ‘sexism and racism.’ He tended to favor white males when it came to his rulings.

     “After Frollo lost his job, he became a criminal nutcase. He’s the prime suspect for the arson of a refugee family’s home, and he’s wanted for stalking and attempting to rape and murder a belly dancer.”

     Maui shuddered as he flipped through the file. Claude Frollo was in his sixties, but his white hair and gaunt frame made him appear to be a lot older. 

     “Nani said that the first letter came before she even met with Tamatoa. What does he want with Moana?”

     Te Ka stiffened. “My guess is he wants what he wanted with that dancer.”

     Maui saw red. “I’ll kill that sicko on sight before he can lay one finger on her!” he roared.

     Te Ka’s eyes widened with a mixture of surprise and respect.

     “I wouldn’t blame you. With his record and success at evading arrest, you should do everything in your power to protect her.”

     Suddenly anxious to get back to Moana, Maui thanked Te Ka and raced to get to the airport.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, this chapter went fast.  
> Finally, the psychopath has a name! If you look back through the fic, I kinda dropped hints on the guy’s identity.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, my goodness; it’s been so long since I updated this. I have an ending in mind, but no idea how to get there. *flings papers everywhere and growls*

_Maui & Moana_

Moana and Maui were sitting out by the beach. It was two days before the Oscars, and they were scheduled to fly out the next morning.

     Things had calmed down in the past few weeks. Sy made sure that the attack in Colorado wasn’t leaked to the public. Nani had fully recovered from the gunshot, but she was still going to spend some time in jail. 

     There were no more letters, although Frollo still hadn’t been caught. Maui knew that people like him wouldn’t just stop. He didn’t say what was worrying him, but Moana guessed.

     “It’s not over, is it?” she asked, “Do you think he’ll be at the Oscars?” 

     “It’s possible,” Maui grumbled. 

     Moana was silent for a moment, then she gave him a coy grin.

     “When I was a kid, I bet everyone at my school that I would win an Oscar. If I win, and they all come through, it’ll be a lot of money.”

     Maui scoffed, “I really don’t think you should risk it, Curly.”

     “I didn’t get to where I am today because I didn’t take risks. You risk your life everyday for me, Maui.” She laid back in the sand. “So, I’m gonna go to the Oscars, and I’m not gonna worry because I’ll have you to protect me, right?”

     Maui laid down next to Moana and gave her a small smile.

     “You know I will, Moana,” he murmured before kissing her. “You know I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super short chapter; this is a scene taken out of “The Bodyguard” because I couldn’t think of anything better.


End file.
